Influenza Vaccination

More U.S. adults this year have been vaccinated against COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus compared with last year, although uptake of the vaccines remains low, researchers reported Thursday.

It's that time of year again, everyone rolling up their sleeves to get a flu shot. This throwback episode dives into the history of the struggles pinning down the causative agent of flu and the journey to the vaccine!

The FDA approved FluMist, a nasal spray vaccine, for self-administration in people aged 2 to 49 years, making it the first ever influenza vaccine that does not need to be administered by a health care professional, the FDA announced.

The FDA on Friday approved the first ever influenza vaccine that does not have to be given by a health care professional.

High- vs. standard-dose influenza vaccine was linked to a lower incidence of mortality and hospitalizations for pneumonia or influenza regardless of chronic CVD, according to a study presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress.

Influenza-related hospitalization rates begin to increase in patients at a younger age than previously assumed, indicating that prevention strategies should be encouraged for younger patients, researchers found.

Influenza vaccine manufacturers in the United States said this week that they have plans to remove a potentially extinct influenza B lineage from their vaccines and offer only trivalent shots next season.

Maternal influenza vaccination during pregnancy was associated with reduced chances of influenza-associated ED visits or hospitalizations in infants aged younger than 6 months, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Major vaccine developments in 2023 included the approvals of the first two vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus, the first chikungunya vaccine, a new vaccine against malaria, and a move to new monovalent COVID-19 vaccines.

Annual influenza vaccinations are important for pregnant individuals due to higher risks for complications for the mother, fetus and infant, according to an ACOG committee statement.